Technical Development Manager, Soft Goods

Position Overview: 

The Soft Goods Technical Development Manager is responsible for leading APAC TD team to drive the development of Stanley 1913’s Soft Goods collection, ensuring it is functionally viable, meets design intent, is efficient in production and within margin objectives.

The role is also responsible to assess product designs and offer suggestions to structurally enhance the product. At the same time, this role will work closely with the manufacturing partners to ensure they are optimizing the plant for efficiency, employing tooling, reducing production bottle necks and minimizing minutes on the line.

This role also leads innovation research for Soft Goods and introduces best practices from the industry to both the Stanley 1913 brand and the manufacturing partners.

Reporting to Sr Manager, Engineering, this role will interact across multiple functions in China, USA, Vietnam, Cambodia and potentially others.

What You'll Do:

• Manage APAC TD team by leading, coaching, and mentoring the team to accomplish the responsibilities and grow the capability continuously.
• Lead and coach TD team to perform APAC TD’s duty in new product development process.
• Deliver tasks assigned on time and efficiently in a positive and collaborative manner. Delivery includes both the technical considerations, as well manager responsibilities.
• Assign TD to join each specific project to support product design, complete design risk review and assessment, develop product test plan, perform sample review and provide comments from product development perspective, be responsible for Confirmation sample and PSA sample review and approval.
• Partner closely with Stanley 1913 design and product development teams on existing and new projects. Provide input from engineering aspect to guide the product teams on construction and raw material choices.
• Partner closely with Stanley 1913 Quality team and together lead critical milestone events such as Pre-Production runs, Pilot runs, Test Orders and similar. Identify weaknesses and trouble shoot solutions.
• Partner closely with Stanley 1913 sourcing team to engage and train the manufacturing partners on industry best engineering practices for Soft Goods.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing partners ensuring optimization of the welding and sewing lines.
• Lead regular meetings with cross-functional teams and be able to provide updates, relay actions and improvements made, and point out risks and plans to offset.
• Build factory engineering / technical capability assessment system and drive for continuous improvement to have the product creation process more smoothly and shorten the lead-time.
• Lead innovation activities from factory side, provide strong understanding to evaluate ideas together with creation team.
• Drive quick strike projects to support quick needs from product management team.

Who You Are:

• Technical / Engineering background with experience in textile cut and sew and RF welded soft goods (Bag related experience preferred).
• Working knowledge of Six sigma methodology preferred.
• Expert with Adobe Illustrator, 3D Modeling Preferred, and other professional software.
• Excellent communication skills - written, spoken, listening.
• Out of the box thinker, yet analytical and with a bias for process.
• Strong planning & implementation skills, adherence to timelines a must.
• Ability to influence to gain the best outcome for Stanley 1913 products.
• Rich experience in project/team management and very familiar with project process, Skilled at prioritizing tasks and managing timelines.
• Respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints and maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Bachelor's degree or above, majoring in Technology / Engineering Discipline, preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in soft goods development for a consumer goods brand with global reach.
• 5+ years leading TD team (Soft Good)
• Solid experience of technical writing, documentation and presentation
• Confidence working with, and presenting to internal and external clients
• Direct experience communicating with factories
• Travel 30%~50%